An $18-million renovation project recently put the Myrtle Beach Airport into the big-city league. The terminal grew from 50,000 square feet to 120,000, and an upper-level concourse was added.

Rainy days no longer bring a polite attendant with an umbrella out to the planes to walk passengers into the terminal. Two jetways now connect the planes to the terminal, so passengers need never get wet nor cold.

Scheduled jet service is provided by USAirways to and from its major hubs to nearly 200 domestic and international cities. Jet service is also provided by Atlantic Southeast Airline (ASA), a Delta connector with a number of flights daily to its hubs in Atlanta. Additionally, jet service is also provided by Continental, Midway, Spirit, and ComAir.

Direct flights to and from Myrtle Beach are available to Atlanta, Atlantic City, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago O’ Hare, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, New York Laguardia, Newark, and Raleigh, North Carolina.

For private or charter aircraft, “Myrtle Beach Aviation”, the general fixed-base operator at the “International Myrtle Beach Airport”, can be reached at (843)-477-1860.

You should be able to get to Myrtle Beach by air from just about anywhere in the United States. Unless you can book an express flight, probably from a major air terminal in Charlotte, North Carolina, or Atlanta.